Drawer suspension

ABSTRACT

A roller drawer suspension using rails mounted inside the vertical projection of the drawer, and locating the drawer laterally at the drawer opening on roller flanges positioned outside the drawer.

Umted States Patent 1151 3,658,399

V0 1 1451 A r. 25 1972 [54] DRAWER SUSPENSION 3,387,907 6/1968 Wall..312/348 2,992,037 7/1961 Maxwell ..312/332 1 lnvemofl J11s m AdaMlch-3,094,363 6/1963 Fremstad m1. .....312/332x [73] Assignee: VogtIndustries, Grand Rapids, Mich.

Primary Examiner-James T. McCall Filed! 8- Attorney-Glenn B. Morse 1 ALN 61 17 1 PP ,2 57 ABSTRACT 52 us. c1 ..312/343, 312/333 A mile draw"suspensim "sing mum! inside 51 I111. c1. ..A47b 88/04 i the draw! andmating the [58] 1 16111 ofSearch ..312/350 344 332 348 341 laterally thedraw Waning flanges P outside the drawer.

[56] References Cited 2mm, 14 Drawing Figures UNITED STATES PATENTSPATENTEDAPR 2 5 I972 SHEET 1 BF 3 l/VVE/VTOR James B. Vogr Fig. 3

ATTORNEY DRAWER SUSPENSION BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION categories:sliding, fixed rail, and telescoping rail. These are stated in the orderof increasing cost, and also in the orderof smoothness of action. Thetelescoping rail system provides full roller mounting and full drawersupport at complete extension. A sliding drawer mounting provides norollers at all, and is usually associated with either low-coststructures, or with drawers that are comparatively lightly loaded andinfrequently used. The fixed rail system forms an intermediate betweenthe two extremes of cost, and the attempt is usually made by thedesigner to provide as much of the advantage of the telescoping railsystem as possible within the economy of the single fixed rail at eachside of the drawer. In this system, the drawer is supported at a pointnear the drawer'opening on rollers mounted on the rail, with the rear ofthe drawer carrying a second set of rollers'that are interengaged withflanges on the rails. Primary'design considerations in these systemsinclude economy in the use of space within the cabinet,-both laterallyand vertically, and the elimination of a requirement of an unduly largedrawer opening to accommodate disengagement of the drawer and the slightvertical movement associated with automatic closing.

The drawer is frequently locatedlaterally at the drawer opening byflanges on the supporting rollers. Automatic closure is accomplished byproviding a slant to the bottom edge of the drawer side positioned toinduce the drawer to roll slightly down hill as the drawer nears theclosed position. This slant is commonly supplemented by a slight offsetin the supporting rail at the rear end of the drawer. The verticalmovement inherently associated with this arrangement must take placewithoutinterference from the rail structure, and without preventingplacement of the roller flanges on the outside of the drawer.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Supporting rails are mounted in the cabinetwithin the space defined by the vertical projection of the drawer, andpreferably between the planes defining'the inside surfaces of the drawersides. This position permits the bottom edge of the drawer sides to movedown past the supporting rail to accommodate the vertical movement ofautomatic closure. The front rollers are mounted on the outsides of therails, with the drawer being received between flanges on these rollerswhich bear against the sides of the drawer whenever a tendency tolateral displacement exists. With the roller flanges on the outside ofthe drawer, the drawer does not have to pass over the roller flanges ondisengagement of thedrawer from the drawer opening.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view from the lowerrear of a drawer equipped with the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view from the rear of the rail installationassociated with the drawer shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a sectional perspective view showing the rail installation in.a cabinet structure.

FIG. 4 is a plan view of the drawer and suspension system shown in FIGS.1 to 3.

F IG.5 is a section of the plane 5-5 of FlG. 4.

FIG. 6 is a section of the plane 6-6 of FIG. 4.-

FIG. 7 is a view of the plane 7-7 of FIG. 4.

FIG. 8 is a view of the plane 8-8 of FIG. 4.

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the rear roller and supporting bracketshown in FIG. 1, on an enlarged scale.

FIG. 10 is a sectional elevation showing the drawer at the extensionstop position.

FIG. 11 shows the manipulation of the drawer to move it past theextension stop.

FIG. 12 shows the procedure for disengaging the drawer from the drawer oening.

FIGS. 13 and 4 are sectional views on an enlarged scale showing thecross-section of the support rails, on planes 13 and 14, respectively,of FIG. 4.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT The drawer generally indicatedat is formed by the parallel sides 21 and 22, the back 23, the front 24provided with the handle 24a, and the bottom panel 25. Thedrawer isreceived within the opening 26 in thecabinet structure 27. Oppositerails 28 and 29 are supported at the fronton brackets 30 and 31, whichhave tabs 32 and 33, preferably projection-welded to the rails in theposition shown in FIG. 4. The rear extremities of these rails arereceived by the receptacles 34 and 35 secured to the member, 36 of thepanel structure 27. The members 34 and 35 are preferably molded ofplastic material, and are provided with slots receiving the ends of therails. These receptacles, per se, form no part of the present invention.

The installation of the rails 28 and 29 with respect to the drawer isbest shown in FIG. 8. The position of the rails is such that they arewithin the space between the planes defining the inside surfaces of thesides 21 and 22, so that the drawer can move downward past the railswithout interference at the bottom edges of the sides 21 and 22. Rollers37 and 38 are mounted on the outside of the rails, as shown in FIG. 8,on studs 39 and 40-secured directly to the rails. The rollers haveflanges 41 and 42 disposed to bear against the outside surfaces of thesides 21 and 22 to prevent lateral displacement of the drawer withrespect to the opening 26.

The inner extremity of the drawer is supported on the rollers 43 and 44mounted, respectively, on brackets 45 and 46 secured to the back panel23 with screws 45 a-b and 46 a-b.

These brackets are of conventional design. The rollers 43 and 44 arereceived between the flanges 47-48 and 49-50 of the respective rails(refer to FIGS. Band 14), and the rail 28 is additionally provided withthe retaining flange 51 preventing lateral displacement of the rollerembraced by that rail. Both of the rails are provided with conventionalextension stops as 7 shown at 52 and 53, and the lower flanges of therails are deformed as shown at 54 and 55m permit the rear rollers tomove past the extension stops in the manner shown in FIG. 11. Thesearrangements are conventional, as in the cut-away provided in the upperflanges of the rails, as shown at 56 in FIGS.

10 and 11, for permitting the rear rollers to be withdrawn as the draweris disengaged in the movement illustrated in FIG.

12. Reference to FIG. 11 will confirm thatthe withdrawal of flanges areoutside of the vertical projection of the drawer.

Iclaim: 1. In combination with a drawer and a cabinet structure havingan opening normally receiving said drawer, a drawer suspension systemincluding opposite rails mounted in said cabinet structure underneathsaid drawer, and also including roller means mounted on said drawer andengaging said rails,"

wherein the improvement comprises: opposite front rollers mounted onsaid rails, respectively, and normally supporting said drawer, saidfront rollers each having a side flange disposed to engage the side ofsaid drawer on lateral displacement thereof with respect to said cabinetstructure, said front rollers being mounted on the sides of each of saidrails remote from the other of said rails, and said rails are within thespace between vertical planes defining the inside surfaces of saiddrawer sides. 7

2. A combination as defined in claim 2, wherein said drawer has a bottompanel and sides extending below said bottom panel, and said frontrollers engage the bottoms of said drawer sides.

1. In combination with a drawer and a cabinet structure having anopening normally receiving said drawer, a drawer suspension systemincluding opposite rails mounted in said cabinet structure underneathsaid drawer, and also including roller means mounted on said drawer andengaging said rails, wherein the improvement comprises: opposite frontrollers mounted on said rails, respectively, and normally supportingsaid drawer, said front rollers each having a side flange disposed toengage the side of said drawer on lateral displacement thereof withrespect to said cabinet structure, said front rollers being mounted onthe sides of each of said rails remote from the other of said rails, anDsaid rails are within the space between vertical planes defining theinside surfaces of said drawer sides.
 2. A combination as defined inclaim 2, wherein said drawer has a bottom panel and sides extendingbelow said bottom panel, and said front rollers engage the bottoms ofsaid drawer sides.